India vs New Zealand 5th T20I: India seek finish after Auckland loss

India, who have already sealed the T20I series 3-1, play the fifth and final match against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday, 1 November, after an 87-run defeat in Auckland. The toss is at 12:00 PM IST and the start is 12:30 PM IST.

The series, New Zealand vs India T20I Series 2026, began on 22 October. New Zealand’s win in the fourth match was their first of the series, and the Hamilton game is the last of the five.

What went wrong in Auckland

New Zealand made 259/7 and India were held to 172/9. Glenn Phillips made 107 off 49 balls and Michael Bracewell added 65 off 25. Mayank Yadav took 3 for 48 for India, while Nitish Kumar Reddy went for 64 in his four overs.

In the chase, Jacob Duffy took 4 for 23 and Mitchell Santner 2 for 24. Naman Dhir top-scored for India with 28 off 13 balls, and Ishan Kishan was out for 0 off 3 balls.

Selection questions

PTI reports that Sanju Samson and Naman Dhir could be among those to make way, and that the Auckland defeat may have prompted tactical changes. It adds that India’s management is steadfast in backing its established line. Samson made 4 off 2 balls in Auckland.

Tribune India notes that Ishan Kishan scored one run in the Christchurch opener and missed the second and third matches with a groin injury. He returned in Auckland and was dismissed for a duck.

India’s spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule said Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy are ready to come in at any time, though the chance may not arrive in this series.

New Zealand’s batting

ANI, citing Cricinfo, notes that Tim Seifert has made 36 runs in four innings of the series at a strike rate of 105.88. He scored 3 off 5 balls in Auckland.

What’s next

Tribune India describes the Hamilton game as the end of a packed month and a half for India’s T20I players, with the focus then shifting to the 50-over format. India play the first ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday, 4 November at 7:30 AM IST, and the second on Saturday, 7 November at 7:30 AM IST.